Heel-holding device for safety ski bindings



May 20, 1969 E. HECKL HEEL-HOLDING DEVICE FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS Sheet Filed Aug. 31, 1967 INI/LWTPR EGO/V HECKL Arron/5y:

May 20, 1969 7 .EG HECK L 3,445,124

I HEEL-HOLDING DEVICE FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS Filed Aug. 31, 1967 Sheet of 3 Fig. 4

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HEEL-HOLDING DEVICE FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS Filed Aug. 31, 1967 Sheet 3 013 E ablv HECKI- Arm/way:

United States Patent 3,445,124 HEEL-HOLDING DEVICE FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS Egon Heckl, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, assignor to Hannes Marker Filed Aug. 31, 1967, Ser. No. 664,712 Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 14, 1966,

Int. Cl. A63c 9/00 US. Cl. 280-1155 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A carrying member for a soleholder and a closing pedal is pivoted on an axis disposed behind the heel and is under the influence of a spring element. The heel-holding device automatically assumes a locking position in response to the insertion of a skiing boot into the binding and can be arbitrarily opened, e.g., by the application of slight pressure with a ski stick to a release member, and can be automatically released in response to an excessive upward tensile force, which is approximately vertical. The carrying member consists of two jaw arms, which are pivotally movable relative to each other against the force of the spring element. One of said jaw arms carries the soleholder and/or the closing pedal. A locking lever is pivoted on a pivot that is parallel to the pivot of the carrying member. The locking lever is pivotally movable to its release position under the influence of that arm of the carrying member which carries the soleholder and against the force of the retaining spring. The locking lever has a locking nose, which cooperates with the other arm of the carrying member.

The present invention relates to a heel-holding device for safety ski bindings, which device comprises a carrying member for a soleholder and a closing pedal, which carrying member is pivoted on an axis disposed behind the heel and is under the influence of a spring element, and which device automatically assumes a locking position in response to the insertion of a skiing boot into the binding and can be arbitrarily opened, e.g., by the application of slight pressure with a ski stick to a release member, and can be automatically released in response to an excessive upward tensile force, which is approximately Vertical.

Various types of such heel-holding devices are known. Compared to other known heel-holding devices which operate according to different principles, they have the important advantage that the force which acts in a releasing sense on the soleholder is opposed by a progressively increasing, elastic resistance until a predetermined, adjustable release position is reached, and that resistance damps the force. On the other hand, the heel-holding devices of the kind defined have an important disadvantage, which reduces their utility and opposes their practical use. In said heel-holding device, the carrying member for the soleholder and the closing pedal is so mounted on a part which is fixed to the ski that a certain displacement of said carrying member in an approximately vertical upward direction is required before it can perform a rearward pivotal movement to its open position. That upward displacement is opposed by the force of the spring element. A lock is provided to prevent a downward displacement of the carrying member by the spring element when the carrying member has been outwardly deflected. During the insertion of the skiing boot into the binding, the carrying member is pivotally moved forwardly so that the spring element is released to effect a sudden return displacement of the carrying member. With this design,

3,445,124 Patented May 20, 1969 "ice the manipulation may result in an injury due to an intended or unintended release of the spring element because the carrying member can be forwardly deflected relatively easily and there is no special safety feature to prevent said movement.

It is an object of the present invention reliably to avoid this disadvantage in a heel-holding device of the kind defined initially hereinbefore and so to design the heel-holding device that it can be manufactured simply and at low cost and is not liable to be deranged.

In a heel-holding device for safety ski bindings, which device comprises a carrying member for a soleholder and a closing pedal, which carrying member is pivoted on an axis disposed behind the heel and is under the influence of a spring element, and which device automatically assumes a locking position in response to the insertion of a skiing boot into the binding and can be arbitrarily opened, e.g., by the application of slight pressure with a ski stick to a release member, and can be automatically released in response to an excessive upward tensile force, which is approximately vertical, this object is accomplished according to the invention in that the carrying member consists of two jaw arms, which are pivotally movable relative to each other against the force of the spring element, one of said jaw arms carries the soleholder and/or the closing pedal, and a locking lever is provided, which is pivoted on a pivot that is parallel to the pivot of the carrying member, said locking lever is pivotally movable to its release position under the influence of that arm of the carrying member which carries the soleholder and against the force of a retaining spring and said locking lever has a locking nose, which cooperates with the other arm of the carrying member. Different from the known heel-holding device, the spring element is not connected to a part of the device which is fixed to the ski. The spring element consists in this case preferably of a helical compression spring. As a result, the spring element cannot aifect the closing movement of the carrying member for the soleholder and the closing pedal. In this closing movement, only the small force of the holding spring acting on the locking lever must be overcome when a small rearward pivotal movement is imparted to the locking lever under the influence of that part of the carrying lever which cooperates with the locking nose of the lever. The range of the pivotal movement of the jaw arms of the carrying member is structurally defined. As the locking lever cooperates with both arms of the carrying member, the latter can be pivotally moved as a whole only when the locking lever releases both arms of the carrying member. For this purpose, a rearward pivotal movement must be imparted to the locking lever against the force of its retaining spring. As has been mentioned, the rearward pivotal movement may be imparted to the locking lever by that arm of the soleholder which carries the soleholder and this arm may impart said movement while the arm is moving relative to the other arm of the carrying member under the influence of an approximately vertically upwardly directed tension force acting on the soleholder and opposed by the force of the spring element. Depending on the magnitude of this movement, which depends in turn on a force, a larger or smaller rearward pivotal movement is imparted to the locking lever. The retaining spring causes the locking lever to return to its initial position when the force decreases. If an excessive force, which endangers the leg of the skier, is acting on the soleholder, e.g., during a forward fall, the locking lever will be pivotally moved to the rear to such an extent that its locking nose releases the other arm of the carrying member so that the carrying member as a whole can be pivotally moved in an opening sense and the heel of the skiingboot can free itself from the holding device,

In a structurally simple embodiment of the heel-holding device according to the invention, the locking lever cooperates by means of a cam with that arm of the carrying member which carries the soleholder. To enable an adjustment of the desired release hardness value, the cam may be adjustably held on the locking lever. It is desirable to provide for an adjustment of the distance of the cam from the axis of the locking lever.

In another embodiment of the heel-holding device according to the invention, that arm of the carrying member which carries the soleholder cooperates by a coupling link with the locking lever. For an adjustment of the release hardness value, the pivot connecting the coupling link to the locking lever may be displaceably mounted.

In a special embodiment of the invention, the initial stress of the spring element may be variable for an adjustment of the release hardness value. To avoid a maladjustment of the release hardness value, the heel-holding device is suitably provided with an indicator for the release hardness value.

If the heel-holding device is used together with a toeholding device against which the skiing boot must be resiliently forced, the housing which contains the pivots for the carrying member and the locking lever consists of a carriage and is held for displacement in the longitudinal direction of the ski on a base plate, which is fixed to the ski, and a spring element is included in the kinematic linkage for displacing the carriage toward the tip of the ski. The arrangement is preferably such in this case that the spring element serves both for producing the forward contact pressure and as a retaining spring for the locking lever. An indicator is preferably provided also for the magnitude of the forward contact pressure.

To enable the skier to check the adjustment of the release hardness value to its individual requirements by a loading of the heel-holding device without watching an indicator, it is a development of the invention to provide a signal generator, e.g., for generating an audible signal, the generation of a signal by said generator being automatically initiated shortly before the release.

The actuating member for an arbitrary opening of the device consists suitably of a rearwardly angled extension of the locking lever. Slight pressure applied to this extension, e.g., with the tip of the ski stick, will then be suflicient to impart to the locking lever a rearward pivotal movement to such an extent that it releases both arms of the carrying member and the latter can be pivotally moved as a whole to its open position. It is suflicient if said pressure overcomes the small force of the retaining spring.

To ensure that the carrying member automatically assumes its open position in response to a rearward pivotal movement of the locking lever, e.g., before the skis are applied when they have been transported, an opening spring is provided, which acts between the housing and the carrying member and which may preferably consist of a torsion spring mounted on the pivot of the carrying member and just overcomes the weight of the carrying member and of the parts carried by it.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described more fully by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view showing a first embodiment of the heel-holding device according to the invention,

FIG. 2 a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the device in an open position,

FIG. 3 a central longitudinal sectional view showing a second embodiment of the heel-holding device according to the invention,

FIG. 4 a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the device in an open position,

FIG. 5 a top plan view of FIG. 3 and FIG. 6 a side elevation showing the device as viewed in the direction of the arrow VI in FIG. 5.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a simple embodiment of the toeholding device according to the invention. The several parts of the device are mounted in or on a housing 1, which can be secured to a ski by means which are not shown. The housing is open on top toward the tip of the ski and carries a pivot 2, which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the ski and on which a carrying member is pivoted. This carrying member consists of two jaw arms 4, 5, which are pivotally movable relative to each other against the force of a helical compression spring 3. Each arm consists, e.g., of a bent sheet metal member and has two congrument lugs, with which it is pivoted on the pivot 2 independently of the other arm. The free end of arm 4 forms a spring housing, which receives the free end of arm 5. Each arm has a depressed portion 6 or 7, by which the helical compression spring 3 is held against transverse displacement. A soleholder 8 and a closing pedal 9 are fixed by a screw 10 to the spring housing formed by the free end of the arm 4. Slots 11 for the screw 10 are provided in the fixing arm of the closing pedal and in the corresponding portion of the arm of the carrying member so that the soleholder can be adjusted to soles having different thicknesses. Alternatively, the fixing arm of the closing pedal may be non-detachably secured to the arm 4. To prevent a rotation of the parts which are detachably connected, teeth or the like, which are not shown, may be provided in known manner.

A locking lever 13 is pivotally mounted on a pivot 12, which is mounted in the housing 1 and parallel to the pivot 2. A torsion spring 21 is mounted on the pivot 12 and has one arm bearing on a part that is connected to the locking lever. This spring tends to hold the locking lever in its locking position (see FIG. 1). The locking lever extends out of the housing 1 between the lugs of the arms 4, 5 and has a locking nose 14, which cooperates with a pin 15 that connects the two lugs of the arm 5. In a manner to be described hereinafter, a cam 16 of the locking lever can cooperate with a pin 17, which connects the two lugs of the arm 4. The cam 16 has a guide portion, which is slidably received in an aperture 18 of the locking lever 13. The cam has a tapped hole, into which a screw 19 is threaded, which is rotatably mounted and axially fixed in the locking lever. The screw can be rotated, e. g., with the aid of a coin, to adjust the distance from the locking nose 1-6 to the connecting part 17. The locking lever 13 has a rearwardly angled extension 20, which serves as an arcuating member for an arbitrary opening of the device, as will be described hereinafter.

The function of the just described embodiment of a heelholding device according to the invention will now be explained. FIG. 2 shows the device in its open position. During the insertion of a skiing boot into the binding, the heel contacts the closing pedal 9 to depress the same so that the arms 4 and 5 are pivotally moved in a counterclockwise sense in FIG. 2 and the soleholder 8 engages the upper rim of the sole from above. During this closing movement it is suflicient to overcome the small force of the torsion spring 21 acting on the locking lever 13 when the latter performs a small rearward pivotal movement under the action of the connecting pin which cooperates with the locking nose of the lever.

When the skiing boot has been inserted into the binding, the heel-holding device assumes its locking position, shown in FIG. 1. When an approximately vertically upwardly directed tension force is then acting on the soleholder 8, the arm 4 of the carrying member can perform an upward pivotal movement about the pivot 2 against the force of the helical compression spring 3 whereas the arm 5 is held in its position by the locking nose 14. When the force decreases, the spring 3 depresses the arm 4 and with it the soleholder and the heel of the skiing boot downwardly. By a larger force acting on the soleholder, the spring 3 is compressed to such an extent that the connecting pin 17 of the arm 4 engages the cam 16 of the locking lever 13 and causes the latter to perform a rearward pivotal movement against the small force of the torsion spring 21. When the deflecting force decreases, the torsion spring causes the locking lever to return to its locking position. When a tensile force which endangers the leg of the skier acts on the soleholder, the spring 3 is compressed to such an extent that the connecting pin 17 acting on the cam 16 imparts to the locking lever 13 a rearward pivotal movement until the locking nose 14 releases the connecting pin 15 of the arm 5. When the connecting pin has been released, the carrying member as a whole can continue its pivotal movement to its unlocking position, in which the heel of the skiing boot is released by the heel-holding device.

For an arbitrary opening of the heel-holding device, the locking lever is pivotally moved about the pivot 12 against the small force of the torsion spring 21. This may be effected, e.g., by the application of pressure with the tip of the ski stick on the extension of the locking lever 13. The locking nose 14 is thus caused to release the connecting pin 15 so that the carrying member consisting of the arms 4, 5 can perform as a whole an upward pivotal movement without need for overcoming a spring force.

FIGS. 36 show a further embodiment of a heelholding device according to the invention. In this embodiment, a resilient contact pressure of the skiing boot against a toe-holding device is generated. A housing 31 is designed as a carriage and held on a base plate for displacement in the longitudinal direction of the ski. The base plate 25 is fixed to the ski. Just as in the embodiment just described, the housing is open at the top and toward the tip of the ski and carries a pivot 32, which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the ski. The pivot 32 carries a carrying member, which consists of two arms 34, 35, which are pivotally movable relative to each other against the force of the helical compression spring 33. Each arm has again two spaced apart, congruent lugs. In this embodiment, too, the free end of the arm 34 forms a spring housing, which receives the free end of the arm 35. To hold the helical compression spring 33 in position, the arm 34 has a rivet 36 and the arm has a rivet 37. A screw is rotatably mounted and axially fixed to the free end of arm 34. The soleholder 38 is threaded on the screw 40 with the aid of two lugs, which extend through a guide slot 41 of the arm 34 into the spring housing. The screw 40 can be rotated to displace the soleholder 38 in the guide slot 41 for adjustment to soles having different thicknesses. In the present case, the closing pedal 39 is integral with the arm 34. That part which forms the guide lugs of the soleholder is made from a metal strip, which has an aperture, in which an eye member 24 for a retaining belt is mounted.

A pivot 42 is mounted in the housing 31 and extends parallel to the pivot 32. A locking lever 43 is pivoted on the pivot 42. Just as in the embodiment described just before the locking lever extends between the lugs of the arms 34, 35 out of the housing 31 and has a locking nose 44, which cooperates with a pin 45, which connects the two lugs of the arm 35. A cam 46 of the locking lever cooperates with a pin 47, which connects the two lugs of the arm 34. The cam 46 has a guide portion, which is slidably mounted in an aperture 48 of the locking lever 43. The cam 46 has also a tapped hole, into which a screw 49 is threaded, which is rotatably mounted and axially fixed in the locking lever. The purpose of this device and its mode of operation have been described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Just as the locking lever 13, the locking lever 43 has a rearwardly angled extension 50, which serves as an actuating member for an arbitrary opening of the device. The extension has a recess 50 for receiving the tip of a ski stick.

A resilient contact pressure is generated by a helical compression spring 51, which acts via the locking lever 43 and the pivot 42 on the housing 31. The helical compression spring bears at its other end on a spring abutment 52, which is fitted on tapped bushing 53 and bears on a collar of that bushing. The bushing extends through an aperture in the rear wall of the housing. A lock Washer 54 prevents a pulling of the bushing out of the housing. A screw 55 is threaded into the tapped bushing 53 and has an actuating knob 56 at its free end. The screw 55 is rotatably mounted and axially fixed in an upwardly bent lug 26 of the base plate 25.

The helical compression spring 51 does not act in a radial direction toward the pivot 42 but engages the locking lever 43 on a somewhat higher level to hold the locking lever normally in its locking position so that there is no need for a separate retaining spring.

A torsion spring 57 is mounted on the pivot pin 32 of the carrying member and bears at one end on the housing 31 and at the other end on the arm 34 of the carrying member. During the rearward pivotal movement of the locking lever 43, the carrying member is thus automatically caused to perform a pivotal movement to its unlocking position. This is required, e.g., before the skis are applied when the device is still in its locking position, e.g., because the skis have been transported immediately before.

The release hardness value is adjustable by means of the screw 49 and indicated by a pointer 58, which is connected to the guide part of the cam 46. Depending on the position of the cam, the free end of the pointer is visible to a smaller or larger extent through a slot 59, which is longitudinally aligned with the locking lever 43. In the present case, the device is set to the lowest release hardness value so that the pointer is only slightly visible in the slot 59 (see FIG. 5).

The forward contact pressure is indicated by a pointer 60, which is indicated only in FIG. 6 and formed by a portion of the spring abutment 52. This portion is forwardly angled. Depending on the instantaneous value of the contact pressure, the pointer is more or less visible through an aperture 61 in the forward side wall of the housing 31 in FIG. 6. In the position shown, the device is in its locked position but there is no skiing boot in the binding so that the spring 51 is not stressed beyond its initial stress. As a result, the lock washer 54 engages the rear wall of the housing so that the pointer 60 is only slightly visible in the aperture 61. When the skiing boot is inserted into the binding, the housing 31 is rearwardly displaced relative to the ski by the carrying member 34/35 against the force of the helical compression spring 51. The larger this displacement, the larger is the portion of the pointer 60 which is visible in the aperture 61 because the bushing 53, the spring abutment 52 and the pointer do not follow the movement.

With the heel-holding device according to FIGS. 3-6, the arbitrary opening and the automatic release are effected just as with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

What is claimed is:

1. A heel-holding device for safety ski bindings, said device comprising a carrying member, a soleholder and a closing pedal mounted on said carrying member, said carrying member being pivoted on a first pivot located to the rear of said soleholder, said carrying member comprised of two jaw arms, a first spring means disposed between said two jaw arms, said jaw arms being pivotally movable relative to each other against the force of first spring means, a locking lever pivoted on a second pivot located parallel to said first pivot, said locking lever being pivotally movable from a locking position to a release position, a second spring means resisting movement of the said locking lever to its release position, said locking lever having a locking nose and one of said jaw arms having stop means cooperating with said locking nose to provide locking.

2. A heel-holding device according to claim 1, wherein the locking lever includes a cam that cooperates with a part of said other jaw arm.

3. A heel-holding device according to claim 2, wherein the cam is adjustably positioned on the locking lever to enable an adjustment of a selected release hardness value.

4. A heel-holding device according to claim 3, Wherein the distance from the cam to the pivot of the locking lever is variable.

5. A heel-holding device according to claim 1, further including means supporting said carrying member pivots in slidable relationship to the ski upon which said device is mounted.

6. A heel-holding device according to claim 1, Wherein means are provided to vary the initial stress of the second spring means for an adjustment of the release hardness value.

7. A heel-holding device according to claim 6, further including an indicating device for the release hardness value.

8. A heel-holding device according to claim 1, further including a housing to carry said pivots, a base plate to be fixed to the ski, said housing being slidably mounted on said base plate for displacement in the longitudinal direction of the ski, and second spring means being included in the kinematic linkage for displacing the housing toward the tip of the ski so that said second spring means produces a forward contact pressure.

8 9. A heel-holding device according to claim 8, further References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,172,677 3/1965 Marker 280l1.35 3,278,195 10/1966 Salomon 28011.35 3,317,217 5/1967 Poiger 280--1 1.35 3,333,859 8/1967 Smolka et a1. 28011.35 3,351,354 11/1967 Smolka. et al 280-1135 BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

L. DANIEL MORRIS, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

